


Knocks on Doors and Lack thereof

by ineffablenerd



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Character Study, Drabble Collection, Drabbles, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29068662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablenerd/pseuds/ineffablenerd
Summary: A Series of drabbles following Zolf Smith and his relationship with doors, and talking to people.
Relationships: Azu & Zolf Smith, Celiquillithon "Cel" Sidebottom & Zolf Smith, Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan & Zolf Smith, Sasha Racket & Zolf Smith, Zolf Smith & Everyone, Zolf Smith & Oscar Wilde
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	1. In Paris: Hamid

Hamid knocks and knocks again.

"Zolf?"

there is no answer.

He knocks again.

"Zolf please."

It has been like this ever since they got out from the catacombs.

Since Mr. Ceiling and his arm and Zolf's leg and Sasha's...

If they'd just talk it out.

Hamid knows that talking about it will help. How not talking about it will make this petrified and heavy and drown them one by one. He has enough of these around his own throat.

He can help this time. If they would just. Talk.

On the other side of the door, Zolf stifles a sob.


	2. On the way to Prague: Sasha

The knock is silent. The hand used not familiar with making itself known on purpose.

"I need your help." The tongue used not familiar with asking for anything.

"Of course." Helping is what he does. What he always tries to do.

She shows him the weeping scars in silence.

He heals it with the same.

You don't need words to help, if you can just _do_ something.

"Scurvy maybe? Some kind of magical Scurvy?"

Talking is a means to an end.

Words are to find out what you can _do_ to help.

He knows: Words alone have never helped anyone.


	3. In Japan: Wilde

"Come in" Wilde doesn't look up from his work.

There hasn't been a knock but he can feel Zolf standing in the doorway.

"You missed dinner again." Zolf doesn't try to keep the concern out of his voice. They have moved past that long ago.

"I was busy." busy sifting bread crumbs into nothing again, he doesn't say.

He doesn't look up when heavy metal footsteps move towards him or when the signature sound of pocelain hits the desk.

He doesn't look up when those same footsteps retreat again.

He only allows himself to look when he is long alone.


	4. In Hiroshima: Azu

A gentle knock pulls Zolf out of his novel.

"May I come in?"

Azu, for all her size, has an incredibly gentleness to her.

It's good she was arround for Hamid and Sasha when he wasn't. She probably did a much better job protecting them than he ever could.

"We haven't talked much." It's not a question but it implies one.

"I don't..." he starts but remembers he's trying to be better, "What do you want to talk about?"

Azu smiles a gentle smile.

"You have so many of these novels. Please tell me more about them"

And he does.


	5. Above Russia: Cel

Zolf almost turns away again when he reaches the engine room's door.

He knocks anyways.

Cel pokes their head out almost immediately.

"Can we talk?" Zolf hates how unsure his voice sounds but this is not about him.

Cel only nods. Which is worrying in itself.

"It's not your fault this happened."

Cel begins to protest but he cuts them off.

"You saved our lives with that Cage thing. I know nothing about New-trons or whatever but without you we'd all be dead. Not switched around and confused. Dead."

He hopes words can help as much as doing something sometimes.


End file.
